US Dismisses Iran’s Latest Diplomatic Proposals

Russia Says Proposals Could Be Basis for Negotiations, Opposes Sanctions

The United States has rejected Iran’s latest series of diplomatic proposals as “not really responsive” and several top lawmakers have said they are very anxious to add to harsh sanctions against the nation over it’s nuclear program.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on the other hand, said the proposals were something to work with. He added that the proposal at least showed Iran’s willingness to enter into a comprehensive discussion and said some of the points could be the basis for a broader deal.

The Western push for sanctions to punish Iran for refusing to abandon its civilian uranium enrichment, however, has taken a serious hit as Russia says that it will now oppose any additional sanctions. Russia is involved in the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which requires the enriched uranium.

The IAEA’s recent report notes there are still some questions that remain, but once again confirmed that none of the enriched uranium is being diverted to any military purpose. The US has speculated, however, that it might be someday.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.